Happy new year! In 2015, our house was 75% #solar from 9 panels.

My solar career was launched 10 years ago, when I helped start Minnesota’s first PV incentive program (see “A Tale of Two States: Small Solar Rebates—Steady Success,” HP111 ). Today, I do market research on electric utility engagement in the solar industry for a national association. Ironically, in all of those years, I didn’t have the right situation to install my own PV system. But after moving to northern Utah when my wife got a new job—and buying what I hope is our last home—it was finally time to make a solar commitment. My goals were simple: maximize solar’s impact on our electricity consumption, minimize the physical size of the system, and design an attractive system. It was time to apply 10 years of advising others to my own PV installation. Design & Planning The common siting choices did not work for our house: the backyard is significantly shaded and in a flood ...